Wallboard or sheetrock is well known and is used to provide smooth wall surfaces to the interiors of buildings. As is also well known, the corner or edge where two wallboards form a ninety degree angle require a metal corner strip to protect the wallboard corners from breakage. This metal corner strip comprises a flat metal sheet which is bent at an angle along the longitudinal center thereof. Typically, the flat metal sheet has spaced openings therethrough for receiving fasteners or the like. The metal corner strip of this type is well known by the term "cornerbead" and shall be referred to by that term hereinafter.
Normally, the cornerbead is formed in a continuous section. Each section of cornerbead will include a corner edge and metal lath extending outwardly therefrom. The sections of cornerbead can be made at extremely long lengths. Conventionally, the cornerbead can be cut to the desired length and used during the construction of the building.
Unfortunately, in the past, the corner edge of the cornerbead can become deformed, distorted, or bent during shipping, transport, manufacture, and installation. In circumstances where the corner edge of the cornerbead does not form a straight linear edge, the edges of the building will take on the same deformation as the cornerbead. This can lead to a very undesirable appearance to the building. In many circumstances, home builders offer strong criticism for the effect of uneven or bent cornerbeads.
In the past, it has been fairly conventional for the builder to inspect the cornerbead visually. If the cornerbead does not appear to be bent, then it will generally be used during the construction of the building. If the cornerbead appears to be bent, then the builder will often bend the cornerbead into, what appears to be, a proper linear alignment. Other times, the builder will simply replace the cornerbead with a straighter section of cornerbead. Often, the builder's visual inspection of the cornerbead is inaccurate or ineffective.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to cornerbead used in the construction of buildings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,754,367, issued on Aug. 28, 1973, to O'Konski et al. discloses a casing bead employed, as on metal lath, for plaster. The casing bead sections are adapted for joinder in abutting end-to-end relation. A splicing clip is utilized as part of the assembly and interacts with end-to-end abutting sections of the casing bead to hold the sections in rigid alignment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,079, issued on Apr. 13, 1982, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,660, issued on Jan. 4, 1983, to R. J. Pearson disclose a cornerbead and corner clip. This cornerbead and corner clip includes an elongate formed and punched sheet metal cornerbead which is adapted to be easily cut into individual wallboard corner clips. This is designed specifically for use inside corners. The elongate slots include a repetitive pattern of longitudinally extending slots disposed between at least some of the laterally extending slots. The laterally extending slots are spaced outwardly from the bead section and inwardly from the outer edge of the flange section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,173, issued on May 6, 1986, to Lat et al. describes a method for improving adhesion of joint compound to metal cornerbead. In this patent, the metal cornerbead for dry wall partitions is coated with a water-reducable acrylic resin to improve the adhesion of the joint compound to it. An aqueous solution of resin can be added to the roll-forming lubricant, such as hexylene glycol.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,157,887, issued on Oct. 27, 1992, to K. R. Watterworth, III, describes a fireproof structural assembly that comprises a bar joist having an outward flange along its base. Expanded metal lath is held in position against the bars and above the flange by attachment clips. The attachment clips each comprise a U-shaped base which pinches the flange, a stem to hold the lath in place, and a perpendicular end point which pokes through an opening in the lath to stabilize the clip. A thick layer of cementitious material adheres to the lath in the area of the bars and flanges.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,097, issued on May 11, 1993, to G. Lallier teaches a fluid operated cornerbead crimping tool. This tool is used for crimping cornerbead to wallboard. This device utilizes a handle portion, an intermediate air cylinder portion, and a crimping head portion which together forms the crimping tool.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cornerbead alignment apparatus that enhances the visual ability to determine deformations along the corner edge of the cornerbead.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cornerbead alignment apparatus that facilitates the repair and maintenance of the cornerbead.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cornerbead alignment apparatus that improves the efficiency of cornerbead inspection.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a cornerbead alignment apparatus that is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.